Personal video recording with storage space requirement checking

A system for administration of storage space requirements on a personal video recorder (“PVR”), the system comprising:

• a memory configured to store information defining an amount of storage space in the PVR that is allocated to a user;
• recording means for recording a show for the user of the PVR in the user's allocated storage space, the show having an estimated storage space requirement;
• means for incrementing the show's estimated storage space requirement in accordance with a predetermined over-allocation rate, the over-allocation rate being determined based on a genre of the show, to compensate for a risk of underestimation of the storage space requirement;
• means for calculating an amount of free storage space associated with the user based on the user's allocated storage space and the incremented estimated storage space requirement of the show;
• and
• means for adjusting the user's allocated storage space based on a privilege level of the user, in response to the amount of free storage space associated with the user being smaller than the incremented estimated storage space requirement of the show.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions for administration of storage space requirements on a personal video recorder (“PVR”), the computer program instructions comprising instructions for:

• storing in a memory of the PVR information defining an amount of storage space in the PVR that is allocated to a user;
• recording by the PVR a show for the user of the PVR in the user's allocated storage space, the show having an estimated storage space requirement;
• incrementing the show's estimated storage space requirement in accordance with a predetermined over-allocation rate, the over-allocation rate being determined based on a genre of the show, to compensate for a risk of underestimation of the storage space requirement;
• calculating in the PVR an amount of free storage space associated with the user based on the user's allocated storage space and the incremented estimated storage space requirement of the show;
• and
• in response to the amount of free storage space associated with the user being smaller than the incremented estimated storage space requirement of the show, adjusting in the PVR the user's allocated storage space based on a privilege level of the user.